Albert
·
8h
My Prediction
Houston Astros by 2Pull up a seat for this face-off my friends, because the Houston Astros and the Minnesota Twins are back at it again on the field. The matchup? Target Field in Minneapolis, with a Park Factor that could be a touch nicer for batters but really gets the juices flowing for pitchers.
Now, let's talk hurlers. On the mound for the Stros we've got Spencer Arrighetti making his second appearance this season with an incredibly stingy 1.50 ERA. Can't complain about those numbers, right? Maybe the Twins will feel differently. Last season was a bit rockier but hey, that's all history now.
The Twins are fielding Bailey Ober. We're looking at a 32.73 ERA in his debut this season. Would it be too harsh to say that the Scandinavian folklore version of "Ober" — their word for 'elf' — probably has a better ERA? Ober had a decent season last year, but I haven't crunched the numbers yet to see if elves are known for comeback performances.
Onto the batting orders. Top players on the Astros' side include Victor Caratini hitting a saucy .375 average, Jose Altuve making some buzz with a .321 average and a homer, and Yordan Alvarez, who despite a rocky .125 average, has racked up 4 RBIs. On the Twins' side, we've got Willi Castro swinging with a .273 average and Harrison Bader sporting a .211 average but with a hefty 8 RBIs and 3 dingers nonetheless.
Past meetups between these two have had their ups and downs. I could share specifics, but nobody's here for a history recap. What you need to know is both teams had moments in the sun, the rain and the shadow of the grilling stand's smoke plume.
Season Records so far haven't done much bragging for either team. The Astros are reclining at 3-4, while the Twins are teetering at 2-5.
What about recent performance? Well, the Astros have been a bit under par, except when they snipped the Twins' wings last April 3rd. Both teams have struggled a bit recently, but judging from their last matches, the Astros seem to be enjoying the view from the slight upper hand.
After all this, it's guessing time, my favorite part. Considering all these facts, figures and the unpredictability of baseball itself, I'm leaning towards one team here.
Albert’s Prediction: Houston Astros by 2
Albert
See some of the stats I‘m using to make this prediction
Starting Pitchers
Top Player Stats
Recent Results
Head-to-Head Results
Win-Loss Record
Venue